Where Souls May Travel
by Hverbos514
Summary: Landing in a world called Middle Earth wasn't on the list of things to do during the spring semester for Haley Verando. Neither was finding a home alongside Hobbits while trying to find a way home. She especially didn't count on dwarves taking her on a journey to reclaim their home from a dragon! But as the journey goes on, Haley wonders if she really wants to go home at all...
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes: **Hello, everyone, and welcome to my story! This isn't the first story that I tried to post on FanFiction, but it might be the first one that I may continue. The inspiration for this story actually came from seeing all of those stories about people (mostly girls) landing in Middle Earth and going on the adventure with the characters. Since I'm a sucker for always wondering how I could write my own version of this genre, I finally decided to do it.

I know that fanfics with OC's can either be a hit or a disastrous miss with said OC's being too powerful and perfect. Believe me, I understand! To come clean about my OC addition is that she is modeled after me. I will not deny that this is _somewhat_ of a self-insert story, and I know that that can be a deal breaker for many of you. But, I promise you, that she won't steal the show or take away character development from the other characters. She will have strengths and she will have many flaws.

I hope with that note in mind that you give this story a chance. I'm not perfect, but I'm going to do my best to get character personalities right. Thank you, and enjoy the introduction!

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**Prologue**

"I swear, if she says we can't go after all the work we put in this, I'm gonna be so pissed."

"I think the knowledge that you hand sewed our puppets will give us the go ahead anyway," a girl with blonde hair commented as she lifted her hand from the blue bed sheet that was sprawled on the floor, her palm entirely green.

"Even with that, I wouldn't put it passed her to fail us anyway. Did you forget that she wanted us to _quilt_ our background? She can never make anything simple."

"Well, thankfully Annetta's idea got her off our back and onto another group's," another girl with long, bushy brown hair pointed out as she slathered her hand in bright yellow paint before also leaving her hand prints on to sheet, "I'm still upset that she made us change the entire ending of our play."

"Ugh, I know," Haley agreed, "I cringe every time the bully flip-flops his personality. That does not happen in real life."

"It sucks, but I'm willing to do anything as long as I get my A at the end of the semester," Annetta said. Haley snorted at her comment.

"Says the girl who decided to take twenty-nine credits this semester…"

"Twenty-six now," she corrected, "had to drop one of my math classes since I was failing miserably." Haley simply 'hummed' at her reason before she glanced over at the other girl.

"Anyway, how are the puppets clothes coming, Alicia?"

"Eh. I'm getting there. I need to teach myself how the use the sewing machine. If not, I'll probably have to hand-sew them. That's gonna take forever," she grumbled.

"Oh, yes, how will you survive?" she joked. A rude painted covered gesture was flashed her way in return with a laugh in response.

"Hey, dear," Annetta interrupted, "can you check the time?" With a noise of acknowledgement, Haley flicked her wrist out before her and peered at the numbers on her watch.

"Oh, you two better get going! Class ends in five minutes," she informed them. Letting out a sharp curse, Annetta flew over to the nearby sink and started wildly scrubbing the paint off. Alicia followed at a more sedated pace.

"Don't you have a class after this too?" she asked over her shoulder as she nudged Annetta to scooch over and share the sink.

"Nah," Haley responded as she slathered on another layer of brown paint on my palm, "Mine was cancelled today."

"Cool. We can head over to the Mill," she said.

"Oh, no! You get your ass to class, young lady! You've skipped that math class way too many times this semester," she scolded in return.

"All she does is lecture and I already know everything in that class," she countered desperately, but Haley remained firm.

"Doesn't matter," she shot back, "I made the mistake of skipping classes in my first couple of semesters and that dug me in a massive hole."

"You skip classes now!"

"Do as I say; not as I do," she repeated the quote her father usually recited to her. However, he only said that when he was driving. Especially when he's going twenty above the speed limit and zig-zaging around cars on the turnpike when they were going too slow for him. And he was also the one teaching her how to drive. Better him than her mother. Her road rage was the stuff of legends.

"Ugh, fine!" Alicia gave in after giving Haley her brand of the stink eye, which was actually very unintimidating considering she's trying not to laugh at the same time.

"Good girl," Haley praised with a flash of a grin. She merely rolled her eyes and went back to her task at hand. Faster than what way probably possible, Annetta finished her washing, snatched her backpack, kissed the top of Haley's head, back-hugged Alisha, and bounded out the door with a call of goodbye to them as she raced to her next class.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Alicia asked as she shouldered her satchel a moment later.

"Yeah. I'm not gonna stay long anyway. I'm gonna finished this tree trunk and then head out," she answered as she repeated the slathering and pressing motion.

"Alright. I'm gonna work on our puppets clothes this weekend, so they should be done by Monday," Alicia said as she walked out the door and up the hallway stairs.

"Good! Just don't stress yourself over it," Haley called. Her echoed response of 'I won't' came back as the basement door slammed shut.

Without the constant chatter that flowed between the three of them, the basement was deadly quiet with only the occasional random noises Haley made between moving this way and that. Time seemed to flow by as she fell into a constant rhythm of putting paint on her hand, pressing said hand onto the sheet, mixing a new batch of paint, and shifting around from one side to the other. She had caught herself more than once going to either scratch her face, tuck her hair, or secure her glass with a painted hand. It felt like only minutes later when she was finally satisfied with her work.

A lovely tree created from hand-prints graced the side of the sheet; her pride and joy on their puppet play background. The grass was only halfway down and the sun looked rather sad, but with two weeks until the actually showings, they had time to fix it later. Going through the duties of washing her hands and cleaning up the leftover supplies was rather time consuming itself since the damn paintbrushes decided to absorb the paint. With that battle eventually over and done with, Haley glanced at her watch.

"Wow, I've been here for an hour and a half," she muttered to nobody. That meant she missed the lunch special. Oh, well. It was probably something she didn't want anyway. With a sigh and a crack of her neck, she carefully lifted one of the sheet corners and processed to hang it up to dry. Alicia was already done with her classes by now, so she was more than likely waiting for Haley at the Mill, their college's one and only cafeteria.

She was halfway through hanging up the other corner when she felt something strange go through her. She paused and knitted her brows together. Where was that vibration coming from? Frowning, Haley lifted up one of her hands and studied it closely, waiting for it to tremble. Maybe she was low on sugar. That usually caused her to shake like that. However, the hand before her was completely steady.

Odd.

Shrugging it off as nothing, she finished hanging up the sheet and stepped off the chair she had used as a step-stool. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt it again. That odd shaking feeling. Was that coming from her?

**SMASH!**

Haley nearly screamed when the piercing sound of shattering glass startled her. What the hell?! Whipping her head around, she finally found the culprit to be a fallen clay pot that was just resting on a shelf not a moment ago. The shaking continued and was growing more violent with each passing second. Haley realized with a growing horror that the shaking was definitely not coming from her.

It was the actual ground. It was an earthquake.

Adrenaline fueled panic overwhelmed Haley as the room around her shook like it was being shaken like a snow globe. A glass case filled with pottery smashed to the ground in mere seconds. The vending machine next to it violently rocked until it joined the ground as well. Art supplies and stacked chairs became scattered in an instant. Her own body felt like it was about to stumble and give out if she didn't press as hard as she could against the wall. Her heart pounded in her chest and her lungs left like lead.

_'What do I do?! What do I do?! What do I do?!'_

She remembered being drilled on what to do during an earthquake during her elementary school days, but for the life of her she couldn't remember them now! Wasn't there something about curling into a ball and protecting your head?

It was then that a loud groan caused her heart to stop completely. Looking up, her breathing hitched in her throat. Through the haze of the earthquake, Haley watched as dust and powdery debris fall from the ceiling to the floor. Another groan came and bending metal rafters and pipes followed.

_'Oh my God! The roof's collapsing!'_

Those panicked thoughts spurred her into action. Pushing away from the wall with as much force as she could muster, she ran towards the door that led to the stairs and the first floor. If she got up the stairs, the door to the outside was right there. She would be safer outside than in.

She was halfway there when the ground slammed into her all of a sudden. Hissing in pain at her busted up hands and knees, she clamored over the fallen chair and rushed towards the door desperately. A cry of despair and fear tore from her lips when the roof over the door suddenly collapsed. Pure panic and adrenaline raced through her blood as she tried to claw and pull away the debris from the door.

Another groan made her freeze. Glancing up, she could only watch in horror as the roof above her came crumbling down.

She didn't have time to scream before darkness took Haley.

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**Author's Notes:** And that was the introduction to my story. I hope you like it and tell me what you think! If you have any questions just ask and I'll answer them when I post the next chapter. I'm currently working on the next chapter and I hope I can create longer chapters. Anyway, see you next time!


	2. Awakenings and Questions

**Author's Note:** Alright, the next chapter has been posted! I was questioned earlier if there are going to be any pairings in this work and the answer is: Yes! However, there isn't going to be any romance between Haley and the canon Hobbit characters. The most she's going to get is family-like love with the members of the Company and Bilbo. Tauriel/Kili is going to happen, but I'm planning on making it not as extreme as it was in the films. I'm also thinking about putting in Bagginshield since I'm such Bagginshield trash. XD As a side note, I should have mentioned that this will be a mix between the book and the movies. Characters such as Azog and Tauriel (obviously since I just mentioned Tauriel) are going to be present. Anyway, tell me what you guys think and enjoy the chapter!

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**Awakenings and Questions**

She was floating; floating inside a great darkness that didn't seem to have an end. All sense of touch, sight, smell, and hearing didn't exist in this darkness. She felt numb, but also relaxed in this darkness. How long had she been here? An hour, a day, a month, or maybe more? She couldn't tell. All she felt was the calm and the floating.

What happened to her again? Why was she here? She couldn't remember that either. Was she dead or alive but unconscious? Either seemed like the correct answer.

What did she remember?

Her name for start: Haley Verando, or 'Hal' as she was nicknamed by her family. She knew she was close to turning twenty-one. She remembered her likes and dislikes; how could anyone not remember those if they could help it? She remembered her family and she remembered her friends. She remembered that she was in college. What year was she again? Oh, yeah, she was a junior.

What was that about puppets and painted hands? Oh, her final project for theater. What did that have to do with anything? Why did she remember shattering pots and fear?

But then, she remembered.

She remembered working with her friends in the school's basement on their background. She remembered their idle chatter and jokes jabbed at one another. She remembered them leaving and her working so long afterwards.

She remembered the sudden earthquake.

She remembered the ceiling caving in above her.

The remembrance of the earthquake and what happened to her slowly lifted the dark haze around her mind. And with the return of consciousness, came her senses.

The first sense to return to her was sight. The darkness that surrounded her gradually turned from black to a dull red that was probably from a bright light shining through her eyelids. With the return of the sense of touch also came the stiffness and soreness her entire body felt. The worst pain was coming from her hands and knees. Both felt like they were on fire. Under her body, she could feel the familiar feeling of lying on the ground with grass brushing against her exposed skin and the occasional tiny rock poking at her. With the feeling of a warm breeze tickling her face came the return of both her sense of smell and hearing. The smell of clean air and the sound of rustling leaves accompanied by the calls of songbirds awoke the rest of her mind. With the awakenment of her brain came her first fully conscious thought:

Where was she?

Flashing open her eyes a moment later wasn't the best idea as the harsh light of the sun assaulted her eyes. Hissing in pain, she squeezed her eyes shut and added the extra layer of her arm for protection against the sun. With that little stunt came a knife stabbing her head over and over again. Even with the protective darkness, her head pounded painfully for a few moments. Eventually, her headache receded to a dull throb.

'_Okay, brain's a little tender. Duly noted. Alright, let's try that again. This time without the sun directly in my eyes.'_

Making sure that her eyes stayed firmly shut, Haley pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her sore muscles protested and her palms stung sharply, but she pushed those feeling to the back of her mind. When she finally finished her struggle, Haley cautiously opened her eyes.

What greeted her was much better than the sun directly in her face. Peering around, Haley took in the full sight before and around her. She defiantly wasn't under a pile of rubble or in a hospital bed. Instead, a wonderfully green forest surrounded her. The grass was thick and lush with scattered piles of blooming wild flowers of varies colors, trees were either almost or entirely covered with their regrown leaves, the songs of birds and the constant rhythm of a distant woodpecker caught her ears, and the smells of the flowers around her caressed her nose. She also caught the sight of a distant dirt path peeping out from between the shrubs. The forest felt calm, safe, and even peaceful.

'_Am I dead?'_ she thought, but then mentally slapped herself when she remembered her sore muscles and aching hands and knees.

If she actually was dead, Haley didn't think that physical injuries would follow her into the afterlife. What was the point of that? A constant reminder that that was how you died? Does a little man come up to you and say: 'Congratulations! You actually managed to somehow get yourself killed. Great work! As your reward, you get to keep your signs of failure for all eternity. Now, go and play show-and-tell with the others who also got fucked up by fate!' If that was the case, the afterlife had a sick sense of humor.

Haley shook her head to rid herself of her musings. Now was not the time for wandering minds. She needed a plan and she needed it now. The first thing she needed to figure out was where she was and, more importantly, how she got here. Glancing back towards the dirt road, she concluded that starting with that would be a good start.

Getting up from the grass proved a little tricky when her knees decided to give her a sharp jab if she bended them too far. But she was able to do it; just not as gracefully as she would have liked. Before moving towards the road, Haley patted herself down and took stock of what she had, what she didn't have, and what injuries she had.

Clothes? Check. Dusty as all hell, but check nonetheless.

Favorite sweatshirt tied around her waist? Check.

iPod that she kept in her sweatshirt's pouch? Surprisingly, check and undamaged.

Glasses?

Glasses?

Where were her glasses?

Feeling around her face and, the now noticeable, missing weight on her nose proved the absence of her glasses. Without her glasses, things even a foot away from Haley looked like blobs of blurry color. But right now, she could see perfectly. How?

'_Maybe I really am dead…'_ she speculated from the sudden miracle. She couldn't even remember a time not wearing glasses. Every year saw her sight getting worse and worse until she had lenses as thick as bottle glass perched atop her nose. She was certainly perplexed at this latest mystery.

She decided to move on to the assessment of her injuries. Peering down at her hands, Haley involuntarily winced at the damage. Her palms were torn to shreds with a few pieces of glass sticking to her raw skin. They were dirty and covered in dried up blood. She would have to try to find a stream or some sort of water source to clean them and avoid infection. The first step was taking out the glass. It took longer than what she would have liked, but Haley eventually coaxed the last of the shards out of her hands. They were tiny, so not having any deep wounds was a bonus.

The rest of her body was unharmed. Except for her knees. Thankfully, they weren't cut up like her hands. Instead, dark purple marks covered her knees that looked like they weren't going away anything soon. Sighing at her state, Haley shook her head and told herself to suck it up. She wasn't going to find any help if she didn't get moving.

Pushing past the shrubs and low tree branches, the girl stepped onto the road and came to another roadblock.

Which way did she go?

Taking a good look down each way, Haley only found the left path banking to the right while the right path went straight on towards the horizon. She couldn't spot any road signs or maps or any indication on which way lead towards civilization.

'_Well… guess I better just pick one and hope for the best,'_ she thought. With a determined look in her eyes, Haley turned towards the path that banked to the right and marched down it.

The persistent growling of her stomach an hour later lowered her mood. She hadn't eaten since early that morning and her stomach thought it was about time to voice its complaints to her. The gnawing of her stomach also didn't help. Before her, the road she followed didn't look like it was about to end anytime soon and the forest around her was ever present. The only change that she noticed was that said forest seemed to grow greener as she walked. The sun above her was starting to descend from its perch at the top of the sky. Harley sincerely hoped that she was able to find some sort of civilization before the sun set.

'_I wonder if the campus called my parents,' _she mused, _'Mom and Dad are probably sick with worry right now. No doubt they stopped work to rush down. Mom probably called everyone else to tell them what happened. Did anyone else get caught in the earthquake? I really hope not. That was probably a really strong one. Maybe they were able to get out before the building collapsed…'_

It was then that the sudden sound of deep growling and a startled yelp snapped Haley out of her thoughts. Concern spurred her into action as she dashed down the road and around a sharp turn. Skidding to a halt and ducking behind a tree trunk, Haley's eyes widened at what she saw.

A few yards in front of her was what looked like a child. He had his back towards her, but even from a distant, she could tell that he was frozen in shock. And who could blame him? Blocking the path in front of him were two large wolves that looked too skinny to be healthy. Their fur was dark, matted and missing in some spots. Both had gleaming yellow eyes, although one looked like it was missing an eye. Both were crouched low, ready to pounce with their sharp fanged teeth ready to kill.

They were ready to kill the child right in front of her!

Ignoring the pounding of her heartbeat and the stinging pain from her palms, Haley grabbed the nearest fallen branch and sprinted towards them as fast as her adrenaline carried her. Protective instincts flaring to life, Haley gripped the branch like a make-shift sword and let out a war cry. Startled by her roar, the child and the wolves spotted her; the wolves backing up a few steps from the sudden newcomer.

Leaping in front of the child, Haley swung as hard and as fast as she could, driving the wolves back farther and farther away from their intended prey. The wolves snarled and tried to snip at her branch all the while dodging a potential blow to their heads. Seeing that their attacker wasn't going to stop anytime soon, the wolves jumped back a few feet to plan another plan of attack. Taking the small amount of reprieve to her advantage, Haley back up towards the child to block the wolves' view of him, her branch held out and ready to strike at a moment's notice. Already her breath was labored and her heartbeat pounded against her chest, but the adrenaline rushing through her veins pushed her through.

"Try again and see what happens!" Haley snarled at the wolves, her face dark and twisted into a furious glare that promised pain. The wolves snarled at her words. The one with both working eyes grew impatient at their stalling. Leaping forward, the wolf readied its fangs to tear at soft flesh. However, Haley was ready for it. A pained yelp from the attacking wolf was the result of a thick branch meeting its head and its assault was cut short as it fell to the ground.

The other wolf took Haley's momentary opening from her loss of balance and copied the other wolf's tactics. However, wood instead of flesh met its mouth. Haley had spotted the wolf coming at her out of the corner of her eye and switched her weapon into a shield at the last second. Holding the branch horizontal to her and with the wolf's jaws wrapped around the part between her hands, a vicious tug of war began. Haley could feel her strength leaving her. She didn't have much time before she was too tired to fight off the wolves.

A sudden, swift and hard kick to the wolf's chest set it stumbling back a few feet before another war cry from Haley brought the end of the branch down upon its skull. The wolf yelped in pain and stumbled back even farther from the two. Shaking its head to rid itself of the disorientation, the half-blind wolf looked to have decided then and there that all this grief wasn't worth it. Snapping its jaws at the other member of its pack, the half-blind wolf bounded away and into the shadow of the forest. The other wolf followed behind him.

The road remained silent for a few moments with only Haley's labored breathing breaking it. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and neck as the effects of her adrenaline rush simmered away. Her body trembled with exhaustion and the branch in her hands suddenly felt rather heavy. Carelessly tossing the branch to the side, Haley finally turned towards the child with a question of 'are you alright' forming on her lips.

She stopped, however, when she finally got a full look at the child.

Oddly enough, the so-called 'child' before her didn't look like a child at all. He was the size of a child (about two feet shorter than her) with the face of a full grown man. Short and curly honey colored hair sat upon his head and a pair of brown eyes stared back at her in shock. A pair of pointed ears poked out from under his curls. He was a little pale-looking with a small belly protruding from his middle. He wore a pair of brown trousers with a white, long-sleeved shirt underneath a golden vest embroidered with a vine pattern. Around his neck was a light blue handkerchief that was tucked neatly underneath his vest. Over that, he wore a rich blue jacket. His feet were probably the strangest thing Haley had ever seen before. They were large and bare with a generous amount of honey colored curls at the top. Beside his feet lay a fallen basket with its contents, mushrooms, spilled over.

Never before had Haley ever seen anything like him. Was he some sort of elf or leprechaun? Either one was seriously shattering her perspective of reality, that was for sure!

Shaking herself out of her state of bewilderment, Haley tentatively stepped towards the strange creature.

"Are you alright?" she finally asked through her much calmer breaths. Her question seemed to snap the creature out of his own musings.

"Ah, yes," he answered, "I do believe I am."

"That's good," she mumbled before she collapsed onto her behind in exhaustion. The amount of stress had finally taken its toll on her body, leaving her a shaking and aching mess. The creature panicked at her sudden flop to the ground and kneeled in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, worry etched onto his face as he searched for any obvious injuries. Before Haley could answer, the creature suddenly paled and gaped at her hands. Following his gaze, Haley hissed at the sight of her hands. If she thought they were bad before, she was surely mistaken now. Her hands had acquired new gashes and splits. Fresh blood began seeping in her palms and the dirt from the branch coated raw and undamaged skin.

"Oh my," the creature muttered, "That doesn't look too good."

"I'm not gonna lie and say that it doesn't hurt, but I would obviously be lying," Haley said in agreement. She looked back up at the creature, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, yes! I'm perfectly fine. Still in one piece, thank goodness, but those hands of yours need to be treated right away," he fussed. He paused for a moment before adding, "And it would probably be best if we leave this area before those wolves try anything again."

"Yeah," she said before then hoisting herself up while the creature hurriedly gathered his fallen mushrooms into his basket. "Uh, what's your name?"

"Oh, terribly sorry! Where are my manners?" he scolded himself before flashing her with a friendly smile and a small bow, "Bilbo Baggins, at your service."

"Haley Verando… at your service?" she finished awkwardly, not knowing if that was the right way to respond or not. She must have since he looked rather pleased at her.

"Haley…Verando," he said slowly as to pronounce her name correctly, "That's quite an unusual name. You must come from very far east of the Misty Mountains."

"Is that not how people say 'hello' around here?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together at the mention of a mountain range she had never heard of.

"Around the Shire it's perfectly normal, but I've heard that the race of Men usually claim their father's name as a title." Bilbo would have continued if he hadn't taken notice to Haley's confused expression. "Pardon me, I don't mean to be rude, but are you lost?"

The idea of being lost grew more and more real with the naming of locations she had never heard of. The Shire? Misty Mountains? The Race of Men? Three things came to her mind at that moment: Where was she, what was Bilbo, and how the hell was she going to get home?

"I guess I am…" she finally answered.

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**Author's Note: **Well, that's the end of this chapter. I hope you guys like it and, remember, if you guys have any questions, please ask! I don't bite! Bye!


	3. Concerning Hobbits

Author's Note: So... It's been a very long time since I've update this story. Nearly a year. I'm so sorry about that! Summer came around with my summer job and then a busy school year. And truth be told: I just didn't have the inspiration to write this chapter. Even now I kinda don't like some parts of it. But hopefully 11 pages will make you guys forgive me and the next update will be soon.

So, enjoy!

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**Concerning Hobbits**

Bilbo Baggins was a respectable Hobbit. He lived his life like any Hobbit would: he ate his meals right on time, tended his garden, read his books, and enjoyed the comforts of his home. Even with his odd mix of Baggins and Took, Bilbo remained firmly where any Baggins would be. That's not to say that he was anything like that when he was just a fauntling. He remembered days of mud, leaves, and searching in the woods for Elves. He remembered wanting to go on adventures just like his dear mother once went on before she had him. Out of all the stories that he was told before his bedtime, his mother's stories of her adventures always filled his dreams with trills and longing to see the amazing sights that his mother saw.

His father, on the other hand, was the opposite of his Tookish mother. A Baggins through and through he was. He always worried about Belladonna whenever she went off on an adventure. However much he may worry though, Bungo Baggins never sought to change his wonderful wife. She was full of spirit and wonder that was a rarity inside Hobbiton. A marvel she was to him. And growing up, Bilbo always understood why. Belladonna was a wonderful mother and always baked the best cakes and sweets; although, he may have been biased with that claim since she was his mother. She always had a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. She was like the sun.

But the day she grew sick started a downward spiral into grey days for both Bungo and Bilbo. It had only started as a cough, nothing to worry about. Just a tickle of the throat here and there. Then it turned into coughing fits and headaches. Then a fever, aches, and an ever growing loss of the bounce in her steps. Gandalf, her longtime friend and adventure companion, arrived when she had lost any energy that she ever had. She couldn't even get out of her bed most days. It wasn't until a month after she grew sick did she finally pass away.

Bilbo's heart had felt nothing but pain when his mother passed. It was like someone was constantly stabbing him over and over again in his very soul. But what he felt was nothing compared to what it did for Bungo. The loss of his wife – his sun – was overwhelming for him. Slowly he began to fade away. Sometimes, days would pass with him doing nothing but sitting in his chair by the fire wrapped in the blanket that Belladonna had made for him when the colder days began. Due to his reclusive nature, gossip began to spread amongst the Hobbits, but none of that mattered. At first, his mind faded away. There were days when Bungo had to remember Bilbo's name. He started to forget what time of the year it was, family members, and even forgetting meals altogether. Bilbo had tried his best to take care of this father, hoping that he would come back. But as Bungo's body began to fade, so did Bilbo's hopes. Only two years after Belladonna passed, Bungo Baggins joined her.

Only a few years passed his coming of age, Bilbo Baggins was alone.

The week following Bungo's funeral, relatives from all sides and neighbors came to visit Bilbo. Channeling the Baggins side, Bilbo welcomed each guest within his home; even the Sackville-Baggins's, no matter how reluctant he was to let them in. Even with the coming and going of relatives, Bilbo felt more and more alone within the great size of Bag End. For a while, he kept to himself to allow the time needed for him to grieve. Like how it was with his father, gossip began to spread like wildfire around Hobbiton. Bilbo paid no mind. He needed to think and get himself together after losing two of the most important people of his life. It was difficult and long, but he took back his life one step at a time. He had started acting more like a Baggins should after his mother died, but when his father passed, he completely took on the Baggins mindset. No more thoughts of adventures or outrageous ideas that were outside what any Hobbit would do. Things were going to go back to normal.

Except, they didn't.

The arrival of the Fell Winter a few years after Bungo's death came crashing down on all of Hobbiton. An arrival of fear and death.

Bilbo shook his head of his musings. He often found himself wondering to things when he was left to his own. Sometimes his thoughts went to his garden and the pride that he felt as prized tomatoes (that beat Lobelia Sackville-Baggins every year at the gardening contest); other times it went to what he should write next. Reading so many books in his life lead him to wanting to write his own, but he never really had the willingness to publish anything. He was selfish in that way in wanting to keep his stories to himself. Yes, his mind did dance around many things when he allowed it to wondering off. When it started to wonder towards the darker corners of his mind, Bilbo pushed them away. There was no sense in bringing up the past. No sense at all.

Glancing down at his basket of mushrooms, Bilbo grinned at the thought of the tasty mushroom stew he would cook with them. He had heard from Hamfast that one of his relatives saw the mushroom patch on his way back from Bree. After picking some for himself, he told any passing ear about the patch in case they wanted some for themselves. Bilbo jumped at the chance to get some before they were all gone by other Hobbit hands. They had a beautiful white and tan coloration and were huge too. Bilbo hoped that more mushrooms might sprout at that spot in the future.

As he was musing about what vegetables he wanted to add to the stew, a sudden low growl snapped him from his thoughts. Before him, two massive wolves blocked his way. Their fur was matted and missing in some patches, they were bone thin and stalking closer to Bilbo with each step. Bilbo's body froze in terror. The wolves' mouths were pulled back into a snarl, showing off their razor-like fangs and both gleamed at him with ugly yellow eyes, although one had only one eye. Memories of echoing howls, a frozen river, and blood swept into the frightened Hobbit's mind. He wanted to run, but all his body did was tremble at the surfacing memories.

The sudden leap of the one with two eyes towards Bilbo snapped the Hobbit out of his frozen terror. With a yelp, the Hobbit stumbled just out of the wolf's jaws, spilling his basket of mushrooms onto the ground. Bilbo's mind raced.

What should he do?! Should he run? Or climb a tree? Or something else?

His mind screamed at him to do something quick or else he would be torn to shreds by the two monsters before him. He could hear and feel his heart pound in his chest like a drum. His breath only came in short bursts and his body trembled violently as he stared into the eyes of the wolf that had both eyes. Bilbo thought that he was going to die.

It was then that a strange cry roared behind him. Whipping around and fearing that something more dangerous was now upon him, Bilbo only gaped in shock as a woman of the race of Men raced towards him. Leaping in front of him, the woman swung a large tree branch wildly at the wolves. With each swing that she took, the wolves backed away farther from them. It was when the wolves were far enough away that the woman took her place right in front of Bilbo, holding her branch out like some sort of sword. Bilbo could hear her labored breaths, but her position didn't falter.

"Try again and see what happens!" she snarled.

As if understanding her words, both wolves growled. The wolf with two eyes seemed to decide to challenge the woman's words by leaping at her. With a gasp and stumble back, Bilbo expected the wolf's teeth to find its mark. However, a hard swing from the woman's branch, a loud crack, and a yelp of pain from the wolf banished that thought. But new panic set in when the other wolf took its chance after its companion fell to the ground.

Finding wood instead of the woman's flesh within its jaws, a fierce tug-of-war began between the two. After a few tugs, a swift and hard kick from the woman loosened the wolf from her weapon. With another roar, she slammed the branch down upon the wolf's head and an identical yelp sounded. After backing away and shaking the distortion from its head, the wolf looked to have decided then and there that all this grief wasn't worth it. Snapping its jaws at the other member of its pack, the one-eyed wolf bounded away and into the shadow of the forest with the other wolf following not that far behind it.

The road was silent then; only broken by the soft labored breaths of the woman. All Bilbo could do was stand there in shock at this woman. With a sigh of relief from the woman, she tossed her branch into the bushes and turned towards Bilbo. But then she froze with wide eyes and looked Bilbo over. In the back of his mind, Bilbo wondered if this was her first time ever seeing a Hobbit, which was normal for anyone that lived outside of the Shire and Bree.

While she took the time to observe him, Bilbo took the time to observe her. It was surprising how young she looked; probably not even fully grown even with Bilbo only coming up to her stomach. She was rather pale with a round face and blue eyes that vaguely reminded Bilbo of blueberries. Upon her head she had a mop of dark brown hair that barely touched her shoulders and had specks of dust nestled into it and her clothes. Her clothes were some of the strangest things Bilbo has ever seen. Upon her person she wore a red shirt with short sleeves; a longer grey shirt that was tied around her waist; surprisingly, a pair of trousers made from the oddest blue material; and a pair of tan boots. This woman was the strangest thing the Hobbit had ever since in his life. Looking back up at her face, Bilbo also noticed the small beads of sweat on her forehead.

Said woman was still gazing at him with bewilderment, but she finally shook herself out of it and cautiously took a step towards him.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Bilbo realized that he had been staring rather rudely at his rescuer and mentally berated himself for his manners.

"Ah, yes, I do believe that I am," he answered. A look of relief washed over the woman's face.

"That's good," she mumbled, before she suddenly fell back unto her bottom with a slight quivering of her body. Bilbo panicked at her sudden collapse and knelt in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked with worry, looking over her body to see if he missed any injuries from his initial look over of her. There was nothing on her head and body, but he finally caught the culprit out of the corner of his eyes. Bilbo paled and only gaped at her hands. Raw and bloody they were with dirt encrusted within the wounds. No doubt they were painful.

"Oh, my," he muttered, "That doesn't look too good."

"I'm not gonna lie and say that it doesn't hurt, but I would obviously be lying," she said in agreement. She looked back up at Bilbo and asked, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, yes! I'm perfectly fine. Still in one piece, thank goodness, but those hands of yours need to be treated right away," he fussed. He paused for a moment before adding, "And it would probably be best if we leave this area before those wolves try anything again."

"Yeah," she said before then hoisting herself up while Bilbo hurriedly gathered his fallen mushrooms into his basket.

"Uh, what's your name?" she asked once Bilbo rejoined her side.

"Oh, terribly sorry! Where are my manners?" he scolded himself before flashing her with a friendly smile and a small bow, "Bilbo Baggins, at your service."

"Haley Verando… at your service?" she finished awkwardly, looking confused on her own greeting. Bilbo only smiled.

"Haley…Verando," he said slowly as to pronounce her name correctly, "That's quite an unusual name. You must come from very far east of the Misty Mountains."

Her eyebrows knitted together and a look of utter confusion washed over her face.

"Is that not how people say 'hello' around here?" she asked.

"Around the Shire it's perfectly normal, but I've heard that the race of Men usually claim their father's name as a title." Bilbo would have continued if he hadn't taken notice to Haley's growing confused expression with every word that he spoke. He paused and then asked her, "Pardon me, I don't mean to be rude, but are you lost?"

She glanced around her and with every second her face grew more and more uneased.

"I guess I am…" she finally answered.

Before Bilbo could have a say on the matter, a sharp snap from inside the forest reminded Bilbo where they were and what had just happened. He wasn't too keen on having another run in with those wolves again if they came back. Hopefully the rangers in the area would rid the forest of those terrors before anyone got hurt.

"Perhaps we should get to my home. Standing out here might not be the best idea," he suggested. Haley only nodded before Bilbo led the way down the road.

The walk towards Hobbiton was a little awkward and tense with no words spoken between them. Occasionally, Bilbo would glance at the human woman and then quickly look away when she looked back at him only to look at her after he felt the stare of her eyes on his person. It was only after about half an hour of walking did she finally speak up.

"Uh… I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but… can I ask what you are?" she asked timidly.

"You're not being rude at all!" he reassured her, "not many people know what a Hobbit is. We Hobbits are a simple folk actually. A comfortable home, good food, and a love of gardening is the more simple explanation of what a Hobbit loves."

Haley gave a little laugh.

"I guess I have some things in common with Hobbits then. I'm quite a homebody myself and food is my best friend," she said with a smirk on her lips.

"Is that so? Well, I believe you'll fit right in with Hobbits," Bilbo replied with his own smile on his face. It was then that he took notice of the lowering sun in the sky. "Oh my, it seems this little adventure has made us miss afternoon tea. We should be able to get back to Bag End a little after the time for dinner. Are you hungry?"

"Oh, no! I'm fine," she insisted. A loud protest from her stomach said otherwise that made Bilbo laugh.

"Traitor," she pouted and glared at her stomach.

"Once we have dinner and supper, I think that stomach of yours will behave," Bilbo teased.

"Dinner and supper?" she inquired, "Aren't they the same thing?"

"By Hobbit standards, no. We Hobbits take pride in eating about seven meals a day," Bilbo informed.

"Seven?!" Haley exclaimed, looking at the Hobbit with wide eyes, "How?! Where do you keep it all?"

"Eating seven meals does seem like a lot to someone who isn't a Hobbit, but it's perfectly normal. We Hobbits have a fast metabolism so eating all of our meals is very important. That and we just love eating," Bilbo explained. Bilbo's companion took a moment to absorb the information, a contemplated look upon her face.

"That does make sense," she finally said, "I don't think I could ever eat that many meals a day. I love food too, but I don't think my stomach could handle that." Another protest came from her stomach as if to say 'yes, I can.'

"Don't sass me," she shot back at her stomach. It was rather ridiculous to see someone talking to their stomach, but it was humorous as well.

"Once we get your hands bandaged up, we can have dinner," Bilbo told her through his chuckles.

"Sounds like a plan," she said, a grin on her face.

A comfortable silence then washed over them as they continued to travel down the road. It wasn't long before the familiar smials of Hobbiton started to increase in number and Hobbits walking this way and that to who knew where. In the distance Bilbo spotted a herd of fauntlings running and laughing and enjoying their games while some older Hobbits tended toward their budding gardens. Beside him, Haley looked around in awe at the new sights and the Hobbits. It wasn't long before many Hobbits took notice of Bilbo and his rather tall guest. Many stopped in their tracks to stare and whisper to each other. Even some fauntlings stopped in their games to stare at the tall woman. In truth, all their staring was irritating Bilbo. What a complete lack of manners they were all showing right now!

Bilbo was about to apologize to his guest on behalf of his rather rude neighbors, but her smiling face stopped him. She looked to be in complete awe and excitement at everything and everyone, and she would occasionally give a friendly greeting to any Hobbit that they passed.

"I've never seen houses like these before," she chimed as she spun around and walked backwards. "They're so beautiful!"

Pride swelled in Bilbo's chest at her praise and he smiled at her childlike behavior. It wasn't long before they arrived atop the hill to Bag End with a crowd of Hobbits following them at a distance. Digging into the front yard and planting small sprouts was a familiar Hobbit with dark curls and gardening tools scattered around him.

Hamfast Gamgee looked up when he heard the front gate of Bag End open.

"Ah, Mr. Bilbo! I've just about finished with planting the new tulips that you like. I just need to plant a few…" he trailed off when he spotted his employer's guest.

"Ham, I'd like you do meet Haley Verando," Bilbo introduced. Haley in turn gave a small bow.

"At your service," she greeted. Hamfast snapped himself out of whatever stupor he was in and grinned at her.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Haley. I'm Hamfast Gamgee, at your service," he responded with his own bow.

"Hamfast, I was wondering if you could do me a favor and ask Bell to come over with extra bandages. I believe I have enough medical salve, but not enough bandages. Miss Haley needs her hands wrapped," Bilbo explained.

"Her hands?" Hamfast wondered. When Haley showed him her palms he paled. "Right. I'll be right back, Mr. Bilbo!" And with that the Hobbit quickly left down the hill towards his own smial.

"Friend?" Haley asked as she watched said Hobbit disappear around a corner.

"Friend and gardener. He's a wonderful fellow and his family and mine have known each other for many decades," Bilbo answered. "Alright, inside we go. Let's get those hands washed before he returns."

Ducking into the foyer, the Hobbit watched in small amusement as Haley had to practically bend down to get through. When she stood up fully her head was about a foot or two away from touching the ceiling. She almost had a close call with the chandelier, but thankfully avoided it. Leading his guest over towards his kitchen, he placed his basket of mushrooms upon the table and guided her over to the sink to wash off her hands. A hiss of pain escaped her lips when the water hit her hands, but she made no noise after that. While she did that, Bilbo quickly grabbed the salve and bandages from his bathroom and, as he expected, he didn't have enough for both of her hands. He usually didn't since he only had the salve and bandages on hand should he cut himself or get a nasty blister on his hands from gardening. When he returned, Haley still had her hands under the water. She was gently cleaning her hands, but more than once her brow would twitch together when her hand stung.

Deciding that he needed to be a proper host, Bilbo set the medical supplies on the table and set about getting a snack for her since her – much to her embarrassment – stomach growled once more. He quickly gathered some cheese and scones that she could enjoy once her hands were wrapped. Once Haley was finished cleaning her hands, Bilbo assisted her in patting them dry.

A sudden knock came from his front door. Bilbo didn't expect Hamfast to be back so quick.

"Come in," Bilbo called. He heard the door open and close, and in walked in Hamfast with Bell.

"Good evening, Bilbo," Bell greeted. "I heard from my husband that you needed more bandages." She held up a small box.

"Thank you for getting here so fast, Bell," Bilbo said. "My guest here had an accident with her hands. Would you be willing to work your magic and wrap them up for me? I'm afraid I only know how to treat small cuts and scrapes."

Bell rolled her eyes, but set about it anyway with a smirk. Bilbo let her to it and stood beside Hamfast as Bell helped Haley. It was rather nice to watch Bell chat and scold someone almost twice her size for being so careless. Haley in turn chatted and shrugged her shoulders in response, sometimes breaking that when she hissed at the stinging salve when it was rubbed on.

"Where did she come from Mr. Bilbo?" Hamfast asked as they watch from the sidelines.

"Truth be told, I'm not sure," he responded. "She just appeared out of nowhere to save me from some rather nasty wolves."

"W-Wolves?!" Hamfast exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at his employer. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you, Mr. Bilbo?!"

Bilbo placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to calm him.

"No, no, I wasn't hurt," he reassured the panicking Hobbit. "Miss Haley appeared before they could harm me. Chased them off too with a branch. The strangest thing is that she doesn't have any idea where she is. Looked absolutely confused when I asked if she came over the Misty Mountains. I could understand not knowing about the Shire, but the mountains are another thing."

"Amnesia?" Hamfast suggested.

Bilbo shook his head.

"I don't believe so. She seems rather sure on who she is. It's just where she is that she's confused about," Bilbo said.

"Her clothing is rather strange, don't you think, Mr. Bilbo? You don't see a lass wearing trousers that often either," the gardener pointed out.

"That just adds more mystery to our guest," Bilbo mumbled.

Silence reigned over them for a moment.

"Are you going to have her stay in Bag End?" Hamfast asked.

"For the time being, yes. It would be improper for me to chase her out since she's in a land she's not familiar with," Bilbo responded with a nod. "From what I've seen so far, she's a very nice lass."

"Well, if you ever indeed any help, Mr. Bilbo, just give me a call," Hamfast offered with a smile.

Bilbo returned the smile.

"Thank you, my friend," Bilbo said.

It wasn't long after when Bell finished wrapping Haley's hands. Bell and her husband left Bag End a moment later. Bilbo offered them to stay and have dinner as thanks, but they politely refused.

"I'll come by again tomorrow around second breakfast with more salve and bandages," Bell told him. "She'll need fresh ones by then."

After they left an awkward silence fell between Bilbo and Haley. However, not one to be deterred, Bilbo set about being a proper Baggins host by cooking a lovely supper for himself and his guest. They had missed dinner, but they gave him plenty of time to cook a large supper. She had offered to help, but the Hobbit refused and told her to sit and enjoy her snack.

And so she did. While Bilbo set about making a nice meal with roasted beef, an assortment of greens, roasted potatoes, the mushroom and vegetable soup that he made with the mushrooms from earlier, and an assortment of breads and cheese with tea brewing upon the stove, his guest nibbled at her snack. She would make conversation with him by asking him questions about Hobbiton, the Shire, and the areas around it. He answered her questions as best as he could, but after a few questions she would go quiet and into deep thought. Bilbo could see her brows knitting together more and more as she asked and received more answers.

Before long their supper was ready. Bilbo nearly laughed when he saw her face at the amount of food that he cooked for them, but she got over it quickly and took a good sized plate of food. Despite the awkward atmosphere from before, they sat in compatible silence while they ate. She only ate one plate, but Bilbo couldn't say much for human stomachs. He, however, had finished his third plate before he started to clean up. She offered again to help, but Bilbo refused her with a smile. He didn't want to aggravate her hands any more than they needed to be. Once he was finished with that, he placed a slice of custard pie for her and himself upon the table.

Bilbo was halfway to finishing his slice when he noticed that his guest hadn't touched it. Across from him, Haley sat slouched against the chair that was a little too small for her. Nursing the cup of tea in front of her, she stared into the liquid and looked to be lost in her own thoughts. Concerned for her, Bilbo set his slice aside.

"Miss Haley?" he called gently. "Are you well?"

Her head shot up when he called her name, looking shocked by her own stupor.

"Uh, please, call me Haley or Hal," she told him with a small smile.

"Alright," he agreed. "Then may I ask what's wrong, Haley? Something's on your mind."

Looking back down at her tea cup again, she looked to be inwardly struggling against something. It looked as though she wanted to say something, but didn't know how. After about a moment of silence and struggle, she peeked her eyes back up at Bilbo.

"Truth be told, I don't know if you'd believe me or not," she sighed. "It sounds crazy to my ears."

"Crazy?" he repeated. "It can't be that bad."

She fidgeted in her seat in response and looked back down at her tea cup.

"I… uh… I don't think I'm from Middle Earth. I'm… I think I'm from an entirely different world," she muttered.

Silence.

"Pardon?"

"I was…working on something when an earthquake came out of nowhere… I got trapped and blacked out. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the forest and then found you about an hour later," she explained, her voice quiet and unsure.

Bilbo remained silent, shocked at the words that she said. What was one supposed to say or even think with what was said? How was he supposed to respond?!

The woman in front of him deflated farther at his silence.

"The… reason why I say that… is because… Misty Mountains, the Shire, Hobbits… my world doesn't have any of that. We only have one race. Just humans. And our technology is far advanced too. And the fact that I woke up in a forest after I should have been crushed by a building…" she trailed off. "I know this all sounds insane. But… it's the only thing that I can come up with."

"Insane?" Bilbo squeaked after a moment of silence. "With all due respect, it sounds absolutely ludicrous."

If it was even possible, Haley deflated even more at his words. But then she suddenly straightened; a look of realization upon her face.

"I can prove it!" she said, reaching behind her back.

Out of the grey shirt that she had tied around her waist she pulled out a strange metal device. Almost flat and in the shape of a rectangle, the device was the brightest blue on one side while the other had a white frame around another black rectangle. Attached to one side of the device was shining yarn that split off into two and ended with odd looking bulbs. It was a little bigger than her hand.

"This is called a music player. It's like a book; only for music. We can keep a record of music and then store it in here so we can listen to it whenever we want. We can store thousands of songs in this," Haley explained. "Here, put these in your ears. Put then in gently though."

Haley held out the bulbs to Bilbo. After a long hesitation, Bilbo gently took the bulbs and set them inside his ears. They were kind of like ineffective ear plugs since he could still hear everything around rather well. Haley then went about sliding her uncovered fingertip across the black and white side. He couldn't see what she doing.

"Alright, don't be alarmed, okay?" she asked. With a small nod from Bilbo, she tapped the device.

There was nothing for a few seconds.

But then he heard it and his eyes widened to the size of saucer plates.

An instrument unlike anything Bilbo had ever heard of started to play. It started suddenly but then slowed down into a beautiful melody. Bilbo whipped his head around the kitchen, looking for the source of the instrument. When it wasn't coming from anywhere Bilbo's gaze landed on the device still in Haley's wrapped hand. So it really was coming from that device. The instrument sounded like it was right in front of him, but it wasn't anywhere to be seen. Any other day Bilbo would close his eyes and relax to the beautiful song, but this wasn't any normal day. Not by a long shot.

Deciding that he had enough for now, Haley tapped the device again and the music abruptly stopped. Removing the bulbs from his ears gently, Haley sat the device down upon the table.

"Did that convince you?" she asked hopefully.

Bilbo responded by fainting.

* * *

Author's Note: Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you guys think!


	4. One Year Later

**Author's Note:** Finally a new chapter! I'm so sorry this took a while. I was busy with final exams and then my family and I were busy moving to a new place. We're finally moved and settled and during the time we didn't have internet I wrote the next chapter of this story. I hope you guys like it and I welcome any questions, comments, and critiques.

* * *

**One Year Later**

Almost a whole year had passed since Haley came to Middle Earth and lived among the Hobbits of the Shire. Almost a whole year since she came to live with Bilbo Baggins, and Haley could honestly say that it was the best year she ever had in her life so far. For the first month of her stay, the rest of Hobbiton didn't know what to think of the woman from the race of Men. She was friendly enough; always greeting everyone with a smile and asking how they were. Even Lobelia was greeted the same way, although said Hobbit would respond with a nervous smile and quick steps in the other direction. But while Haley could be extremely friendly, she could also be rather blunt and stubborn, such as when she point blank refused to wear any dress or skirt no matter how much some Hobbit lasses asked her. Not even Bell Gamgee could convince her and she was one of the closest Hobbits to Haley. Her speech patterns were also odd at times with her saying things that only she seemed to understand. She would then realize her mistake when she saw the blank looks on the ones she was talking to and then tried to explain. However the poor Hobbits would only become more confused.

She was different and many Hobbits were wary of anything that was different. Different would throw their normal lives and routines off balance. The only ones who didn't seem to mind the newest addition to the Shire was Bilbo himself, the Gamgees, and the Tooks. Of course, the Tooks came as no surprise to anyone. But wariness soon melted away when Haley became the favorite playmate of all the fauntlings. She would play all sorts of games with them – including teaching her own – and would even allow them to climb all over her like a tree. Seeing such a tall woman walking around with fauntlings hanging off of her erased the rest of the wariness that the Hobbits felt.

During the first two months of her stay, Bilbo had taken it upon himself to teach his guest all that he knew about Middle Earth and the multiple races that called it their home. She was taught about the Elves: the first born race created by Eru. The Elves were wise, beautiful, and almost fully immortal. Just by how Bilbo spoke about them with a shine to his eyes made Haley realize how much he wanted to meet them. He even tried to teach her Sindarin, which didn't go as smoothly as either of them liked. She was horrible at remembering new languages. The most she ever remembered was greetings and _mellon_, the word for 'friend.' The Dwarves, the children of Aulë, were next, even though Bilbo didn't know much about them. Standing between the height of Hobbits and Men, Dwarves were stout, strong, had hair for days, and a love of crafting amazing things out of stone, metal and gems. They also had their own language as well – Khuzdul – but the language was a guarded secret. In fact, many things about their culture was a guarded secret. They lived in mountain homes; spending their days mining and forging. Sometimes a dwarf would pass through Hobbiton for work or to sell goods, but usually left quickly when they tired of the constant Hobbit stares and whispers. Next came Haley's race: the race of Men. They were the most abundant of all the races and were spread out across all of Middle Earth. They lived in their kingdoms and villages, and they were similar to how Haley's people used to live in the olden days. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before. The only ones that really caught her interest was the Dúnedain: a clan of people who were gifted with longer life and lived their lives as Rangers who protected everyone from orcs and other such creatures. Orcs, goblins, trolls, and other such creatures were some of the last races the Bilbo went over. They were hideous, blood-thirsty, and in days long past they served darker beings that wished to enslave Middle Earth. Learning about Morgoth and his servant, Sauron, was an interesting lesson.

Learning about Hobbits was both a verbal and an interactive lesson. Hobbits were a simple folk. They loved food, gardening, and all the comforts of home. They were created by Yavanna, the Green Lady and wife of Aulë. They thrived on respectability and avoided anything that would diminish said respectability. Things such as leaving the Shire and going on adventures was considered one of the most scandalous things a Hobbit could do. Something that Bilbo's own mother did many times with the wizard Gandalf (a real life wizard!). Bilbo blamed the Took blood running through her veins. Another thing that Hobbits loved was parties, and boy, could they party! When Haley asked Bilbo what the date was (after not keeping track since she arrived in Middle Earth), she realized with a simple shrug that her twenty-first birthday passed by about two weeks before. Of course when Bilbo found out Haley was worried he would have an aneurism from how he panicked and ran around to throw her a party. Imagine her surprise when she learned that at birthday parties the guest of honor gave gifts to the guests instead of the other way around. Bilbo had suggested that he could make it the way she was used to, but Haley reassured him that she was fine with the traditional Hobbit way. Most of the Hobbits that came to the party were there to get a good look at Bilbo's guest, but they were also there to enjoy the free drink and food. There was dancing, drinking, and merrymaking. It was the most exciting birthday party she had ever had.

Living among the Hobbits was filled with days lounging in the grass, playing with fauntlings that had way too much energy for her, helping with gardening and harvests, reading books by a warm fire with Bilbo, the occasional assistance if a Hobbit needed someone tall, and many parties. And as the days passed into months and a peace fell over Haley's soul, a thought began to form in the back of her mind.

If given the opportunity, would she even want to go back home?

* * *

Bilbo Baggins was delighted to wake up to such a beautiful spring day so early in the season. He awoke for breakfast to the sun shining through his window and song birds singing their morning greetings. Opening the window to feel the morning air, it was nicely cool but it would slowly warm up into the perfect day. Leaving the window open to air out his room, Bilbo set about his morning routine.

The hobbit made his bed and washed his face in his bathroom. He changed out of his sleeping wear into a set of lighter clothing to compliment the warming weather, and gave his curls and foot hair a good brushing to rid the tangles. He then made his way to the kitchen to start breakfast. While the kettle boiled for the morning Earl Grey tea, Bilbo prepared toast with butter and jam, home-made potato wedges, over-easy eggs, sausage links, hash browns, fruits, hickory bacon, and a simple salad. Once the food was almost completely cooked, Bilbo took notice to the lack of noise in the other parts of the smial.

'_What could be keeping her?_'

Leaving the food to cook, Bilbo walked deeper into the smial towards the room opposite to his bedroom. Originally it had been Gandalf's guest room whenever the wizard stayed over for a couple of days. Of course that had been a long time ago. The last time the grey wizard stayed in the smial was during Belladonna's funeral. With it empty and being the only room in the house that accommodated bigger folk, it was promptly given to Haley as her room.

Bilbo gave a knock.

"Haley? Haley, are you awake?" he called. With no answer returned, Bilbo slowly opened the door and peeped inside.

Haley had barely changed the room since she moved in. It still had the same dark green carpet that covered a large section of the room and the oak furniture set still in the same places. Upon the shelves sat small knick-knacks that she was gifted by fauntlings, and two shelves were occupied by books she bought and Bilbo gifted her. Bilbo spotted her strange music device resting upon the nightstand where Haley had placed it so long ago and it hasn't moved since. In the center of the room and propped up against the wall was a bed with the same colored green sheets as the carpet. To the hobbit, the bed was huge and it could easily allow four hobbits to sleep comfortably. However, what was big to a hobbit was normal to the taller folk.

A fond smile found its way onto Bilbo when he spotted one of said taller folk still curled in bed fast asleep. She was lying upon her stomach with an arm dangling off the side. Her covers were kicked half-way off her body. Her dark hair had grown quite long since the first day he met her; reaching just past her shoulder blades. Said hair currently resembled a bird's nest and hung over her slightly squished face. Her skin was darker from days outside and her hands had small blisters from the amount of work she did yesterday.

The poor girl came home an hour after supper was over after running around Hobbiton helping hobbits left and right that needed her height or an extra pair of hands. She immediately went to bed after a bath, telling Bilbo she wasn't hungry.

The hobbit tip-toed over to the bed and gently shook Haley's shoulder.

"Haley, time for breakfast," he said, knowing that the word 'breakfast' would wake her up without fail. Sure enough, a pair of blue eyes bleary opened; a drowsy haze still over them.

"Morning already?" she grumbled, her voice hoarse.

"Afraid so," he replied cheerfully. She gave a moan of protest, but sat up and stretched out her back. A resounding crack echoed from her lower back and shoulder blades that made Bilbo wince. Leaving her to her privacy, Bilbo returned to the kitchen and finished preparing breakfast.

He had just finished setting the table and started pouring his cup of tea when Haley came in. Her face was brighter with sleep now fully gone and her hair was brushed and pulled in to a horse-tail. She wore a pair of brown trousers with a black belt, a white shirt with long sleeves that she had rolled up, and a forest green vest with a darker green design of vines and silver buttons. When Haley had started living with Bilbo, they took a trip to Bree to get some new clothes for her since she only had the clothes on her back. He was surprised when all she wanted was trousers to wear since even his adventurous mother had worn dresses and skirts on her adventures. The tailor, an older woman, was shocked and probably horrified that a young woman would dress similarly to a man and tried to convince her to dress like a proper young lady.

"Where I'm from, women can wear dresses, skirts, or pants however they like," she told them, "Besides, I have worn pants by whole life and I'm used to it more than a dress or skirt. The only time I've ever worn dresses was for special occasions."

And that was that. After a year of seeing her in nothing but trousers, Bilbo couldn't imagine Haley in a skirt. It would almost seem unnatural.

During the year she stayed with him, the hobbit discovered many quirks of hers that only painted a bigger picture of her personality. She absolutely adored animals. Big or small, it didn't matter. She had once told Bilbo that she preferred the company of animals more than people back in her world. The truth of those words became apparent when she would stop and pet almost every animal that she saw. She even squealed when she saw a litter of kittens and promptly went to cuddle them. Not only did she love animals, but babies and children were things that she loved as well. Loving children wasn't hard to figure out since she played with them whenever she wasn't busy. When she saw a newborn fauntling, Bilbo thought that she would burst. The new mother even let Haley hold the babe and all she did was coo and coddle the tiny babe in her hands.

Bilbo had concluded that if Haley were born a Hobbit, she would have been born a Took. Not just because she wore trousers, but she also enjoyed of the activities that the Tooks did while other Hobbits didn't. During the late summer months, Bilbo and she had gone to visit the Tooks for a get-together. Some of the male members of the Tooks were practicing and having a small archery contest to win the last of Grandma Took's apple turnovers. Haley had joined in the fun and she actually did better than any of them expected; especially with a bow a little too small for her. She had hit a couple of bull eyes and near bull eyes, but greatly faltered when they moved on to moving targets. The contest was eventually won by Bilbo's eldest uncle. They had asked Haley how she knew archery and she commented that her grandfather was a hunter and she was at the stage in life were she wanted to copy him. Long story short: she received a bow on Yule (she called it Christmas) and her grandfather taught her the basics.

"Of course the last time I used that bow was when I was sixteen," she told them. She then mentioned the reason she probably still had good aim was because of something called "video games." The hobbits were confused by that. Haley gave a dismissive wave and just said "homeland thing," and they nodded in understanding. (Bilbo is the only hobbit that knows Haley's true origin.)

Bilbo had also discovered that his friend thrived on physical contact and affections than words when it came to friendships and family. When she had deemed someone close enough to her, that someone would find themselves be given hugs (sometimes at random), a chin on their shoulder (or heads in the case of the hobbits), leaned on when sitting together, and a kiss on the cheek or head if the person was comfortable with that. Although the only ones she ever did kiss was Bell, Bilbo, and the fauntlings. She understood personal space and never got offended if someone said to take a step back or if they were uncomfortable. There were days when she needed space.

When she had first started being affectionate towards Bilbo, the hobbit was rather unused to it since the last time he ever had any affection like that was before his parents died. He grew used to it and even enjoyed those moments. It was her way of saying 'I love and cherish you.' She was a good lass, and Bilbo would forever be grateful to her. Bag End had been lonely for so many years with just him. Her company erased the loneliness and made the days in Hobbiton more enjoyable, and he was glad that the rest of the hobbits shared this view. She was known around the Shire as friendly and helpful, which was something many hobbits took advantage of.

"Another busy day, today?" Bilbo asked as he buttered his toast.

"Yeah," she answered after a sip of tea, "Not as busy as yesterday, so I'll be home a little after supper."

"What do you have to do today?"

"Hmm… first things first, I'm going down to the orchards and helping the Brandybucks with planting saplings, and getting the older trees ready. Then I'm heading to Grandpa Proudfeet's smial. He and his son need help with building a new gardening shed since Grandpa Proudfeet is getting too old and stiff to build such a project. Then, Farmer Maggot wants me to help with his water mill. The thing is stuck was what I was told. Finally I'll be stopping by the Gamgees and asking Bell if she would be willing to give me a haircut. This hair is getting _way_ too long for summer," she listed, counting each task on a finger.

Bilbo stared at her incredulously.

"You're going… to Farmer Maggot's? How did you get friendly with him?" he asked, shocked that the nasty farmer would allow anyone near his land.

"Bilbo, you know he likes me as much as he likes anyone else. He's only tolerating me because I'm the only one standing between him and a fixed water wheel. Apparently it's too deep for him or anyone else. He's offering a sack of corn come harvest time," she chuckled, popping a piece of bacon into her mouth.

Bilbo shrugged acceptance at that. Hobbits were not very well suited to deep water.

"What about you? Any plans today?" Haley asked in return.

"Compared to yours, not much. After breakfast I'm planning on heading down to the market. I'm thinking of a lovely fish for supper tonight."

"Sounds like a plan," she commented. They then fell into a compatible silence, each enjoying each other's company and their breakfast. Once they finished and had full bellies, Bilbo told Haley to head out to the orchards.

"I can help clean up," she huffed. Bilbo only waved her away.

"The orchard is quite a walk away. The sooner you can get there, the sooner you can get to your other tasks, and the sooner you'll get home for supper," he countered.

"Okie dokie," she sighed in defeat with a roll of her eyes as she placed her plate into the sink.

"Do you want to take anything from the pantry for luncheon?" he asked. While Haley did love food as much as any hobbit, she had stuck to her normal food schedule of breakfast/second breakfast, luncheon, and dinner/supper with the occasional afternoon tea.

"Nah, they'll probably feed me there." She gave Bilbo a peck on his curled head and a hug before she bounced towards the foyer. "Have a good day. Stay safe!"

"I should be saying that to you," the hobbit called with a smirk on his face.

"Hey, I am not that bad!" she cried. Bilbo gave an eye roll of his own.

"Off with you!" he shooed. Haley chuckled at his words as she picked up a pair of brown boots beside Belladonna's glory box. A mischievous smirk curled on her lips.

"Love you, Bil!" she shouted before she bounded out of the smial with a laugh and Bilbo's outrage following her.

"Haley, I thought I told you to never call me that horrible nickname ever again!" he shouted after her. His front door slamming shut was the only noise that he heard and through his kitchen window he spotted her running down the hill barefoot.

It wasn't that Bilbo hated nicknames, it was just that particular nickname reminded him of a rather unpleasant man he met in Bree a couple of years ago at the Prancing Pony. A drunkard he was and thought that it was perfectly acceptable to get into the "personal space" of any woman that caught his eye. Before long he was swiftly thrown out into the streets. There was no way that Bilbo would ever want a nickname that attached himself to that man. No, thank you!

Shaking his head in exasperation, Bilbo set about cleaning up breakfast. After a little, he had made his way down to the market. After grabbing a couple of fresh fish for a rather cheap price, the hobbit also grabbed some eggs, cheese, and various other things for the pantry. He noticed that it was thinning out a little. He said his good mornings and made idle chatter with any hobbit that stopped and talked to him. After those pleasantries, he returned to Bag End and put away his packages.

With a little more than an hour and a half before second breakfast, Bilbo realized that he had nothing to do. With a shrug of his shoulders, he grabbed his pipe and some Old Toby and sat upon his bench outside to enjoy the weather and come up with something else to do for the day.

He could always tend to his garden. The seeds he and Haley planted two weeks ago were sprouting and you could never be too careful when it came to weeds. The tomato plant was coming up nicely and no doubt it would produce some fine tomatoes. Bilbo giggled with glee at the prospect of winning the tomato growing contest against Lobelia again this year. He hadn't lost against her since he started entering the competition and there was no way he was going to stop any time soon. He almost felt bad for crushing her hopes every year. Almost.

He then thought about writing. The hobbit had been wanting to sit down and write down a few story ideas that came to mind. However, it was such a lovely day outside. It would be a shame to sit inside all day.

He was then reminded that a certain someone's birthday was coming up rather quickly. In less than a month's time, Haley would be turning twenty-two and a party had to be planned. It was rather odd to think of Haley as a fully grown woman attached to that number. If she were a hobbit, Haley would still only be a tween and not fully grown until thirty-three. At fifty, Bilbo was at the prime of his life. A man at that age would be considered getting older, and wasn't that a strange contrast!

Bilbo puffed out a cloud of smoke as he returned to his thoughts of party planning. The entirety of Hobbiton was invited, of course. No doubt the Tooks would be making the trip as well, and Bilbo wanted to do something different this year. It was different by hobbit standards, but it was normal for Haley. Last year, Haley has participated in a traditional hobbit birthday party. That usually meant the one whose birthday it was gave gifts to the guests. But Haley wasn't a hobbit. She was of the race of Men and their birthday traditions were very similar to Haley's people. He had wanted to do that last year, but she was rather adamant on keeping with the hobbit way. Well, this year he was going to stick with the familiar for Haley and she didn't need to know. Now all he had to do was convince the rest of the hobbits to follow suit.

With a set plan in mind, Bilbo puffed out a smoke ring and closed his eyes to enjoy the weather with a peaceful smile on his face.

Which instantly dropped into shock when his ring transformed into a butterfly and fluttered right back into his face. A tall shadow fell over him and Bilbo looked up at a grey figure that stood before him. Shocked recognition came upon the hobbit when he discovered who had finally come to visit after so many years.

Wearing a grey robe with an equally grey pointed hat upon his head, Gandalf the Grey looked as he ever did. His grey beard was still long and his wrinkled face was left blank. His blue eyes, however, twinkled with mirth at the hobbit's face. His long knotted staff was still with him and he leaned against it as he waited for Bilbo to make the next move.

"Gandalf! How wonderful it is to see you! Good morning!" Bilbo greeted gleefully. A smile broke out on the wizard's face.

"I had wondered if you would remember me, my dear Bilbo, after all these years. But I must ask: what do you mean by good morning? Do you mean to wish me a good morning or it is a good morning whether I wish it or not? Or perhaps you mean to say you feel good on this particular morning? Or are you simply stating this is a morning to be good on?" Gandalf rambled.

Bilbo saw through the wizard's tirade and the humor that shone in his eyes. He had heard Gandalf say the exact same thing to his mother when he was just a fauntling.

"I supposed which ever one strikes your fancy," Bilbo answered. Gandalf chuckled at the similar answer that Belladonna made. "Would you like to come in for tea and stay for second breakfast? We can catch up after all these years."

"Thank you for the invite, my dear fellow, but I must decline. I actually have business in the Shire," Gandalf said. Bilbo's face fell with disappointment.

"Oh, I see," he said, tone a little more sober than before, "What brings you to the Shire, may I ask?"

"Well, I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure," Gandalf said, looking at Bilbo expectedly.

"An adventure?" Bilbo repeated incredulously, pipe forgotten and resting on his knee. "Honestly, Gandalf, nobody west of Bree would be interested in such a thing. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner. Not even the Tooks would take up your offer."

"I wasn't really planning on asking the Tooks since I already have someone in mind," Gandalf said, an eyebrow disappearing under his hat as he fixed his gaze on the hobbit.

It was then Bilbo realized what the wizard was getting at. He shot up from his bench.

"Me?! Gandalf, you can't be serious! I am a hobbit and a Baggins. Anything outside of the Shire is no place for a hobbit. And adventures are even worse! To go out on an adventure is one of the worst things a hobbit can do. No, no, here is where I belong," he ranted, waving his pipe around to emphasize his point.

Bilbo had responsibilities as the owner of Bag End. He couldn't just leave his things out for someone to wonder in and take. Lobelia would have a field day if she found out and all his silver would be snatched up without a second thought. Not only that, but he wasn't the only one in Bag End anymore. He couldn't go gallivanting off on an adventure and leave Haley behind. There was also no way in Arda he would bring her along if he did decide to go. Which he wasn't going to. Haley may be an adult, but she was his responsibility. Who knows what could be lurking out there and hungry for a hobbit or a young woman.

Gandalf didn't hide his disappointment.

"You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins," he muttered. He stared at Bilbo for a moment as if he was coming to an important decision. Bilbo, in turn, smoked his pipe awkwardly and debated whether he should say something or get out from under the wizard's stare. Said wizard then nodded to himself. "Yes, well, that's decided then," he finally said, "It will be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others."

Bilbo sputtered.

"Inform the who? What – No! No, no, no, no!" Bilbo cried out, leaping up his front steps and towards the his door. "We don't want any adventures here, thank you! Not today, not – I suggest that you try over the hill or across the water, Gandalf. If you'd like to come by for tea or dinner, you are welcome to it, but there will absolutely be no adventures! Good morning, Gandalf!"

With that, Bilbo all but leap into his smial, slammed and locked the door behind him. The hobbit sighed in relief, but berated himself a bit for turning away his mother's old friend like he was selling buttons at his door. But honestly! What was Gandalf thinking? Bilbo going on an adventure? The wizard was clearly mad.

A strange scratching sound then caught his ear and Bilbo looked outside one of the foyer windows. When a winkled face appeared and looked back at him, Bilbo's heart nearly jumped out of his chest and he ran away from the window to hide. He felt ridicules. Ridicules for hiding from Gandalf of all beings like a naughty fauntling that got caught trying to take a pie from a kitchen window. Then again, he didn't feel too bad about it since the wizard nearly sent him to an early grave with that scare.

A jolly humming and the sound of his front gate closing made Bilbo run to another window. Outside he could see a grey form walking down the hill until his pointed hat disappeared from view. Breathing another sigh of relief, Bilbo went into the living room and collapsed on his favorite chair in exhaustion. Even with the mad notion of wanting to invite Bilbo on an adventure, the hobbit still hoped that Gandalf would take up his offer of tea or dinner.

If he did, Bilbo could introduce the wizard to Haley. She was rather excited to hear that there were wizards in Arda.

Bilbo now had to figure what he was going to do for the rest of the day. Glancing over at a window and seeing the nice day outside was quickly shattered with the possibility of running into Gandalf again. He wasn't really looking forward to that meeting again so soon.

"Writing it is," Bilbo muttered to himself before setting off to do just that.

Later that night, Bilbo had changed into his night clothes and was finishing cooking the fish he had bought earlier for himself and Haley. She was expected to be home soon and no doubt she was hungry from her long day. He had hoped Farmer Maggot had given her a chance to dry off before she returned or at least a blanket to protect her from the chilly night.

Moving the cooked fish onto two plates filled with greens and mashed potatoes, Bilbo set his and hers down on the kitchen table. While he would have gladly waited for her to come home, Haley would have scolded him for not eating when it was ready.

He had just started squeezing some fresh lemon juice on his fish, when a firm knock came from his door. Bilbo frowned.

It was rather late for guests and Haley never knocked to come in. She lived here. It could be her since it was around the time she said she would be home. What in all of Arda could she be doing?

Leaving his supper on the table, Bilbo trudged to his door with a shake of his head.

"Haley, you silly girl, what are you – " he opened the door and his words instantly fell.

Before the hobbit stood a dwarf of all things!

The dwarf was the tallest dwarf that Bilbo had ever seen; which wasn't saying much since Bilbo never really met many dwarves. The dwarf was bald with a thick and bushy, brown beard and longer hair in the back. Tattoos of unknown words and shapes covered his shiny head and hands, and his large ears were pierced with metal cuffs. Under his cloak, Bilbo spotted armor and fur and thick belts. Attached to his back were two great axes that the hobbit eyed warily. The dwarf was big, burly, and quite intimidating and it utterly confused Bilbo as to why he was standing on his front porch.

"Dwalin," the dwarf greeted gruffly, "at yer service." He then gave a bow with his piercing grey eyes never leaving Bilbo's face.

Bilbo stood frozen before he stood himself out of his stupor. Where were his manners?!

"Bilbo Baggins. At yours," he returned, hurriedly tying up his robe when he realized all he wore was his sleeping wear. "Do we know each other?"

"No," the dwarf answered, his tone suggesting that what Bilbo asked was the dumbest thing he ever heard. The dwarf then promptly stepped into his smial as if he owned the place and threw his cloak into the nearest table. "Which way, laddie? Is it down there?" the dwarf called.

"I-is what down where?" Bilbo stuttered, rooted to his spot and actually quite offended at the dwarf's manners. Said dwarf gave him a look that was similar to what his tone was a moment ago.

"Supper," he responded before walking passed Bilbo and deeper into the smial, "He said there'd be food. And lots of it."

"H-He said? Who said?" Bilbo inquired.

The dwarf didn't answer, so Bilbo hurried after him. Time to plan host, it would seem. As uninvited as a guest this dwarrow was, Bilbo couldn't let his manners vanish at the situation. He was a Baggins after all!

"U-uh, here," Bilbo said, showing the dwarf the kitchen and motioning him to sit at the table. "You can sit here and have my fish."

The dwarf didn't need to be told twice and started digging into Bilbo's former meal. Not really knowing what to do, Bilbo awkwardly stood off to the side. He felt like he had been banished from his own table. The dwarf – Dwalin was his name – suddenly grabbed Haley's plate and started chopping down. Bilbo tried to stop him, but his words died in his throat when the dwarf bit off the fish's head. That was something he's never seen anyone do before.

"Every good dis," Dwalin commented over his chewing, "Anymore?"

"Oh, um, yes, yes, of course," Bilbo said, and spotted a bowl of scones that he baked earlier. He grabbed the bowl and right before placing them down on the table, Bilbo pocketed two scones. One for himself and one for Haley. Hopefully there will be more than that once the dwarf left. When Bilbo placed the bowl down on the table, the dwarf grabbed a handful of the scones and stuffed them into his mouth. Crumbles fell into his beard and onto the table.

"I, uh, wasn't really expecting company tonight," Bilbo said, trying to sound apologetic to the dwarf.

Another knock came from his front door.

"That'll be the door," Dwalin told him, stuffing another scone into his mouth.

"R-right," Bilbo muttered before hurrying to his front door.

Another dwarf appeared once he opened the door. This one looked much friendlier than the last. He had a grandfatherly look to him with his long white beard that was curled into two points. He had a long hooked nose, but that didn't hinder the kind smile that appeared on his face. He didn't wear any armor like the last, but instead a reddish brown coat over a tunic, trousers, and boots.

"Balin," he introduced, "at your service." He gave a low bow.

"Good evening," Bilbo responded, too stunned to find another dwarf on his door step. The dwarf smile at him and looked up to the starry sky.

"Yes, yes it is!" he said cheerfully, "Though I think it might rain later." He then asked if he was late once he stepped into the smial.

"Late for what?" Bilbo asked. But before Balin could answer, a noise distracted him from the kitchen and he strode in. Bilbo quickly closed the door and followed to see Balin joyfully greeting the other dwarf who was trying to get some cookies out of a jar.

"By my beard!" Dwalin exclaimed, "You are shorter and wider the last time we met."

"Wider, not shorter. Sharp enough for both of us!"

They laughed at that and griped each other's shoulders, before swiftly smashing their heads together; giving a resounding crack in the smial. Bilbo winced and rubbed his forehead at that.

"Have ya eaten?" Dwalin asked Balin as they strode past Bilbo and towards his pantry.

"Uh, excuse me," Bilbo called as he followed, "I hate to interrupt but I think you might have the wrong smial. It's not that I don't like guests, I like visitors as much as the next hobbit. But I do like to know them before they come visiting. The t-thing is, um, the thing is I don't know either of you. Not in the slightest. I don't mean to be blunt, but I had to speak my mind. I'm sorry!"

Both dwarves had been ignoring him and messing around in the pantry and talking to themselves during his rant, but they stopped and turned towards Bilbo with his apology. They didn't really have any idea as to why the hobbit was apologizing.

"Apology accepted," Balin answered, before they turned their attention back to his pantry.

Another knock came from his front door.

'_By Yavanna, please be Haley! No more dwarves!_'

His prayer won't be answered when he opened the door and found two more dwarves on his front step. These two were much younger than the last two and had similar features. Brothers it would seem, although they looked to be opposites. The first dwarf had blonde hair that almost seemed golden in the light of his smial with blue eyes that held a mischievous light to them. His hair was long and littered with braids that were clasped with decorated silver cuffs. He has a smirk on his lips which were framed by twin braids and the same clasps. The other dwarf looked serious, but the same mischievous glint in his dark eyes showed his true nature. His hair was free of any braids or ornaments, and a ghost of a beard framed his face. His features were un-dwarvish: smaller nose and a thinner face. Both of them wore leather armor and had multiple weapons attached to them.

"Fili," the blonde said.

"And Kili," the brunette continued.

"At your service," they greeted with a deep bow.

"You must be Mr. Boggins!" Kili said with a wide smile. Bilbo grimanced at the butchering of his name.

"Baggins, not Boggins, Master Dwarf, and nope you can't come in. You've come to the wrong place," Bilbo said hurriedly, and proceeded to close his door on the two. A heavily booted foot blocked the door.

"What? Has it been canceled?!" Kili asked.

"No one told us," Fili added.

By the Green Lady, what were these dwarves talking about?

"No! _Nothing_ has been canceled," the hobbit told them. How could anything be canceled when there wasn't anything _to_ cancel?

"That's a relief!" Kili cheered before pushing open the door and walking into Bilbo's home with his brother right behind him.

"Careful with these. I just had them sharpened," the blonde warned before pulling out knife after knife from his body and into the hobbit's unsuspecting arms. The other one had taken to looking around the smial.

"It's nice! This place," Kili commented, "Did you do it yourself?"

"No, it's been in the family for years," Bilbo answered, struggling to keep his balance from the increasing weight in his arms. The hobbit nearly had a heart attack when he saw the brunette scrapping his boots on his mother's glory box.

Dwalin emerged from the back and threw his arms around the two dwarves in greeting.

"Fili, Kili, come on. Give us a hand, lads."

Another knock came from his front door.

No! No! Absolutely no!

"No, no, no! There's nobody home!" Bilbo shouted. The poor hobbit was at his wits end and his temper was at the boiling point. Realizing that he still had weapons in his arms, he all but threw them onto a table. "Go away and bother somebody else! There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is! If this is some clot-head's idea of a joke, it's in very poor taste indeed!"

He opened his door intent on given whoever was behind it a piece of his mind, and found himself jumping out of the way when over half a dozen dwarves fell into a pile on the floor. As they grumbled and shouted at each other, Bilbo spotted a familiar tall figure behind them.

"Gandalf," Bilbo realized with irritation. The damned wizard didn't even look guilty and smiled merrily as Bilbo.

"Bilbo, my dear friend, good evening!"

"A very good evening indeed, Gandalf. What is going on? And what are dwarves doing in my smial?" Bilbo snapped, manners forgotten.

"That will be a discussion for later, but now, let me introduce my companions."

Said companions had finally untangled themselves and were lined up before the hobbit.

"May I introduce the Ri brothers: Dori –" A dwarf with intricately braided and decorated silver hair bowed politely.

"Nori –" A dwarf with rust colored hair in the shape of a starfish (and were his eyebrows braided?) nodded in greeting.

"And Ori –" A young dwarf with hair that looked like it was cut from a bowl waved at him shyly.

"The Ur brothers: Bofur –" The dwarf with the funny hat and pigtails gave him a wide grin and a cheerful greeting.

"And Bombur –" a rather round dwarf with flaming red hair waved at him.

"And their cousin, Bifur –" The dwarf with the salt and pepper hair and an axe buried in his head stared at him with unfocused eyes, before saying something in a language Bilbo didn't understand.

"Finally we have brothers Oin –" A dwarf with grey hair and a hearing trumpet in his ear gave him a bow.

"And Gloin." A dwarf with hair as red as the round dwarf and a magnificent beard gave him a nod.

"Bilbo Baggins. How do you do?" Bilbo greeted shortly. "Gandalf, I –"

"Ah! There ya are!" Dwalin called, "Come and give us a hand."

The rest of the dwarves bustled after Dwalin and Gandalf followed with a pat on Bilbo's shoulder as he went.

The hobbit stood in his foyer at a loss. Here he was ready to have a pleasant night and all of a sudden it was turned upside down by a wizard and twelve dwarves invading his smial. Breathing out a dejected sigh, Bilbo went into this bedroom to quickly change into something more appropriate. Time to play Baggins host no matter how much it would strain him.

When Bilbo came back out in a pair of trousers and a shirt, the whole smial was in utter chaos. Everywhere he looked he saw dwarves going in and out of rooms. Some were grabbing extra chairs while others grabbed every speck of food in his pantry. Gandalf was helping to set the table with his silverware and his mother's china. Bilbo tried to get the dwarves to stop and put his things back. He even tried to grab some things, but the strength of the dwarves out-weighed him. The large dwarf – Bombur – walked past him with a tower of cheese wheels.

"A tad excessive, don't you think?" Bilbo asked. "You got a cheese knife?"

"A cheese knife? He eats it by the block," the dwarf with the funny hat told him as he passed with a cured ham.

At his wits end, Bilbo could only stand to the side and watch the dwarves weaved around each other.

"Bilbo?"

At the mention of his name, Bilbo turned and nearly wept in relief. Haley had returned and was looking back and forth and all around at the disaster that was once his home. She looked totally lost for words and dodged around dwarves to reach him.

"Bilbo, what the hell is going on?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, that was it! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Around 13 pages this chapter was. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible!


	5. (Help with a future character?)

**UPDATE:** Queen of Sparkle sent a review telling me that the chapter was messed up and that it was really difficult for people to go to the survey. Thank you very much to you, Queen! So if you want to do the survey, I've created a poll that has the link on it on my profile. I hope that helps!

**Hey Guys! This isn't a chapter, but it's for the story anyway!**

In the way future of the story, Haley will be receiving a dog and I myself have picked the breed. However, I need help with coat color, gender, and name ideas. The breed itself is an Anatolian Shepherd.

I have created a survey that you guys can take to help me decide.

I would really appreciate it and I thought this would be a nice thing for you guys to help with. I can't wait to see what you guys say!

**FYI:** This will remain here until we get to the chapter where the dog shows up so that there will be plenty of time for future readers to pick.


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